Parents and medical experts in South Florida are urging pregnant women to speak with their doctors and review reliable research after President Donald Trump linked the use of Tylenol to autism, a claim many medical organizations say lacks scientific support.
Mother of two with autism urges research
Sofia Lachapelle, who has two sons with autism—20-year-old Francis and 18-year-old Maximus—said the announcement highlights the need for better understanding.
“It’s time to study. It’s time to go and know what autism is and get deep into the investigation and wait,” Lachapelle said.
Her sons were both diagnosed at around age two, and she has been an advocate for children with autism for years.
“Now it’s acetaminophen, now it’s vaccines. I’m not saying no, but my advice to parents like me is this is the time to study. This is the time to get knowledge,” she said.
Doctors cite lack of evidence
For decades, experts have reported autism is caused by multiple factors. Dr. Jenna McCarthy, an OBGYN with IVFMD, a South Florida fertility clinic, said existing research does not support the president’s claim.
“When we’re looking at the best studies that are out there, the best of the studies doesn’t show an association between Tylenol and autism and those are the studies being cited by both the American College of OBGYN and the Society for Internal Fetal Medicine,” McCarthy said.
She added that Tylenol, also known as acetaminophen, has long been considered safe during pregnancy and is critical for treating fevers.
“Potential implications could be untreated fever in pregnancy, which could be associated with birth defects of both the spinal cord, as well as, the heart,” McCarthy said.
Advice for pregnant women
Both McCarthy and Lachapelle stressed that women should not make decisions based solely on political statements.
“For those ladies that are pregnant, talk to your OBGY every woman is different, every baby is different,” Lachapelle said.
Medical community pushes back
A number of medical organizations have criticized the president’s comments, including the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, whose leader called the announcement “highly unsettling” and said it lacked reliable data.
Autism Speaks also released a statement in response
“Women who are pregnant and families considering new therapies for autism should always consult with their doctor. While some observational studies have suggested possible associations between Tylenol (also known as acetaminophen) and autism, it is important to note that they have not – to date – proven causation, which we know to be influenced by many other factors such as genetics, parental health and environment. As highlighted in today’s announcement, leucovorin shows promise in improving speech in minimally verbal children. However, larger, well-controlled clinical trials are still needed to confirm its efficacy and safety as a therapeutic treatment.
“At Autism Speaks, we have been encouraged by the recent, increased focus on autism and have consistently advocated for substantive spending on the research and services needed to improve the lives of autistic people. We acknowledge today’s commitment and the investment being directed toward further research and resources, and express our sincere hope that these efforts will translate into true, improved quality of life for those with autism.
“We urge the Administration’s resources be dedicated toward advancing new and innovative areas of research, so the community benefits from fresh insights, rather than revisiting questions that have been well studied, including vaccines and autism. We look forward to continuing our bipartisan work and supporting public officials, as well as the medical and scientific communities in their efforts to improve the lives of those on the spectrum.”
